Salisbury group seeks input, approval for access to proposed housing over town-owned Rail Trail

SALISBURY — Access to a donated, 5-acre parcel of undeveloped land earmarked for 18 to 20 affordable housing units near Salisbury village will be the topic of discussion at two upcoming information sessions and a town meeting vote this summer.

The East Railroad Street land is being donated by adjoining property owner Jim Dresser to the Salisbury Housing Committee (SHC). Before the project can move forward with design work and Planning and Zoning permitting, SHC must first obtain access to the land over the old railroad corridor for a driveway adjacent to the Railroad Ramble trail, also known as the Rail Trail.

According to Peter Halle, co-president of the nonprofit SHC, in order to obtain necessary access, SHC must have a town meeting vote granting a right-of-way along the town-owned railroad corridor. The required distance is under 150 feet from the end of the pavement on East Railroad Street.

Halle explained that the housing committee cannot undertake developing an architectural site plan without pre-development funding from the state. And pre-development funding from the state, he said, cannot be obtained until access along the railroad corridor is granted.

“We have to get the access. What we’ve been working on and discussing is really awareness and how to best present this to voters in town.”

Information sessions, town meeting

The Salisbury Congregational Church has offered its facilities for the two information sessions and the town meeting while Town Hall is under renovation.

The information sessions are scheduled for Thursday, June 30, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, July 16, at 11 a.m.

The town meeting is set for Thursday, July 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Proponents of the project said they are confident that the public recognizes both the need for additional rental units in town as well as the merits of the site, which is tucked away in a forested area only 200 yards away from the bustling Salisbury village.

‘The Rail Trail
will remain’

Dresser, a longtime Salisbury resident and former selectman, recently met up with Halle at the East Railroad Street property, which is within a short distance and visible from his residence on nearby Academy Street.

A lone jogger on the Rail Trail sprinted by as the two affordable housing advocates led a reporter on a tour of the site.

“A lot of people have thanked me for the gift and have said this is such a good location and that we need the units,” noted Dresser, who unfurled a site map showing the area.

“The good news is, we will not use this road to access these units,” said Dresser as he stood at the point on Academy Street where his property ends and the donated land begins. Instead, access from Main Street would be via Library and Railroad Streets.

The traffic on Academy Street and the parking lot at LaBonne’s would not be affected, according to the SHC.

18 to 20 affordable rentals, similar to Sarum

Halle and Dresser said they are optimistic that the upcoming public hearing will not be a repeat of one that took place about seven years ago, when residents voted down a proposal by the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development for a 30-unit housing complex on the site, due to fears about a significant encroachment on the Rail Trail.

This time around, the plan is scaled down. The SHC is proposing to build between 18 and 20 affordable rental units of one, two and three bedrooms on the site.

Pending professional input from an architectural firm, said Halle, it is likely that the units will be similar in appearance to those owned by SHC at Sarum Village on Cobble Road.

The Rail Trail will not be blocked by the proposed driveway, Halle said. The railroad corridor is 66 feet wide. The short stretch of land required for this project would occupy less than half that width, leaving more than 30 feet for the customary pedestrian bicycle use of the Rail Trail, he explained, as he measured the width using wide steps to demonstrate the ample space.

“The Rail Trail will definitely remain. We are hoping to enhance it, to beautify it with hedges and other plantings,” said Dresser. The 5-acre site has access to town water and sewer, and is secluded, despite being 200 yards from Salisbury Village.

According to SHC plans, a sturdy, landscaped barrier will ensure safe separation between motor vehicles on one side and walkers and bicyclists on the others.

A pro bono study by an architectural firm is producing renderings of what the access to the land will look like with the proposed driveway. These will be displayed at the information sessions.

Halle said the feedback he has received from the community so far has been mostly positive and barring a 51% “no” vote on July 28, he is cautiously optimistic that the project will earn the community’s support.

“We are realistic, we know there will be some sort of opposition, there always is.”